Toy



A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE J. WIDNESS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOY.

Lesasoe.

T0 all whom it anali/.concern l' Be it known that LLawnnNcn J. WIDNEss, a citizen of the United AStates, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a toy carrying one or more figures or objects so mounted as to be capable of continuous limited lively movement for a considerable period of time.

A further object is in' the provision of a toy which, due to the rapid motion imparted to the object carriedvpresents the illusion of its members moving in rhythm and symmetry.

Another object is to provide a device of highly amusing and interesting type, easily put into actuation by a mere touch, durable in vits nature and which can be constructed at a monerate expense.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Y Figure 1 is a' perspective view showing the ligure in broken lines in another position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Stated in general terms, the invention is comprised of a base having an overlying platform and upright w'all or back-ground secured to it.

Rigidly fixed in the base is a support, such as a thin wire, the same extending upward behind and clear of the upright, having included in its length several helical coils or spring elements, and then bent to form a loop passing freely over the wall, down to a point approximately at its center where it is secured to any preferred image.

Such article or object may be, as shown, a representation of the well known typical character Charlie Chaplin, whose absurd, grotesque and ludicrous movements are faithfully portrayed.

So too, the ligure of an animal as a dog or horse is caused to simulate running or galloping, the limbs apparently moving with reference, to the body although in reality they do not.

Due to the peculiar mounting, figures in the image of sparring partners or boxers are Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application led January 27, 1921. Serial o. 440,262.

made to apparently assume different postures and movements depictive of the actions of real actors or gymnasts.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1() designates a relatively heavy base, preferably a wooden plate or block in the form of a pa allelogram, the same having secured upon its upper surface a platform 11k representing the flooring of a stage, this being a level rectangle, its length exceeding the width as shown.

y Secured to the rear edge of the base 10 is an upright wall or plate 12 extending coincident with the platform 11 andto a considerable height above it, this wall being preferably finished on its front surface to represent suitable sceneryy used as a back ground.

Y Rigidly fixed in the base 10, at the center of its rear edge, is the end of a wire 14, made of resilient material of an approved size, the same extending rearwardly and then upwardly to the helix 15 formed in the wire, which is then continued as at l16 vertically, forming one element of an arcuate loop 17 disposed above the'upper edge of the wall 12, the other member 18 of the loop eX-V tending down infront of the wall to a point below'the center of its height, where it iS turned outwardly at a right angle to the front forming an element 19 extending substantially to the center of the platform 11.

Fixed to the end of the wire element 19 is a platform 21 supporting the lower end of an object, as the image 20 representing the person or thing constituting the main ele! ment of the toy.

This object is of rigid construction, that is, the parts representing the limbs and other portions are fixed with respect to the body so as to move in unity, and the article is preferably of considerable weight.

lt will be seen and understood4 that the loop elements 1G to 18 are at all times clear of the wall 12 and due to their length, together with that of the coil. 15 and other elements integrally formed of the wire, the object is carried at the extreme end of a long and highly resilient support, in fact being iioatingly mounted to move universally in a plan approximately parallel to the back ground 12.

For instance, if the loop 17 be lightly struck, it is caused to vibrate, imparting a similar but increased vibration to the article which, due to the inertia of its weight, sets up within itself a gyrating effect about the V Vaxis of the wirel 19, the upper extremities tremities, as the head or feet, a combined axial twisting and swaying action is set up, while if the blow be vertical a dancing effect is obtained combining an up and down, and

' tilting movement.

F rom the foregoing it will be seen that a wide range of action may be given the image used as the main feature of the device and that due to the extreme length and resiliency` of its support, such action will be maintained for a veryf, considerable period. of time.

Notwithstanding the simplicity of construction and operation ofthis toy it affords a highly attractive form of amusement and fully complies with the several objects set forth. A

AWhile certain preferred embodiments of this device have been shown and described, it will be understood that changes in the form, arrangements, proportions, sizes and details thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas delined in the-appended claims.

AHaving thusv ldescribed m invention, what I desire to secure by lie ent and claim, is

i l. A toy comprising a base, a plate representing a background at the rear of said base; an image, a single wire support for tters Patrear edge of said base supporting said image at the bottom thereof, said wire containing a loop extending over said plate above said image, and a single vertical helix formed in said Wire adjacent said base, said spring wire permitting vertical and lateral movement of said image.

3. A toy comprising a base, a level plat-- form thereover, a vertical wall at the rear of said platform, an image disposed centrally over said platform, and a single wire fixed in the rear edge of Vsaid base, said wire having a loop extending over the upper edge of said wall and bent outward to support said image in an essentially7 universal manner. Y

4. A toy comprising a base, alevel platform thereover, a Vvertical wall at the rear of said platform, an image disposed centrally over said platform, a single wire fixed in said base, said wire having a loop extending over the edge of said wall, a horizontal ele'- ment extending from the innerend of the loop attached to said image and a helix formed in the outer element of said loop,

said Wire acting as a torsional support to said image;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LAWRENCE J. IVIDNESS. 

